When I first heard recordings of this flute and percussion duo, I didn’t think of it is “chamber music”. I heard them as an indie band, a rock band, a punk band--a couple of musicians doing things their own way, outside of the norm. This perception helped to shape my approach of writing (and rewriting) this piece.

The music created is really only a fraction of the outcome. I strive to create relationships with new collaborators, or indulge in longstanding relationships with old friends to create something that we can both be proud of. Of course, everything isn’t a walk in the park. Part of the difficulty in this is becoming comfortable enough with myself as a composer to allow someone else in on the process.

It's update time. So many cool things are coming together! In just under two weeks, Jonathan Thompson is giving the world premiere of my piece for oboe and marimba, Triptych. I am SO grateful for all of the work that he and West Fox have put into this piece.

Producing is a lot like teaching, so I’ve come to find out. In the process of producing and assisting in songwriting for MSWS, I learned so much more about song structure, musical direction, etc than I expected. It was almost as if I was teaching myself how to be a better songwriter.